1. Field of the Invention
A mechanism for automatically extracting print circuit boards from a supply source, mounting the boards on a table for assembling electrical components to the boards, removing the assembled boards from the table and inserting the assembled boards into the supply source.
2. Statement as to Prior Art
As a result of the development of machines for automatically inserting electrical components into printed circuit boards, it has become desirable to provide mechanisms to automatically supply the boards to the component insertion machines. This will facilitate increasing board assembly rates and minimize board handling with less operator supervision. Devices of this type are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,722,062, 3,808,662, 4,209,898, 4,274,529 and 4,283,847. These mechanisms all operate on the principle of transferring the board from one end of a component insertion machine to the other by means of a continuous conveyor of some type upon which the board is carried. This requires each blank board to be removed from one storage magazine, positioned at one end of the machine, and transferred to a separate receiving magazine at the other end of the machine after the component insertion has taken place.